Blog update..

Not that I'm shutting the blog down but the posts have been kinda sporadic and that really doesn't have to do much with me...blame it on technology!
Just like TV killed radio and the Internet appears to eliminate the newspaper and magazine world Twitter, yes Twitter is pushing blogs to the brink of elimination...
For random thoughts and acts of the Hate City gang you can follow some of the contributors on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/philysstar

http://twitter.com/FreestyleTweets

http://twitter.com/pitbullina

http://twitter.com/stevexatzi

http://twitter.com/fanimosc

NBA season preview 2009-2010...

Just wanted to post a couple quick notes about the upcoming season which looks like a battle of 5-6 teams...yep, blame it on the recession!

Atlanta Hawks: A lot will depend on their defensive efficiency since they are now deeper (i.e. Jamal Crawford) and more experienced. Joe Johnson didn't sign an extension and is poised to hit the crazy FA class of 2010, Josh Smith didn't shoot (not made) a single 3 during this preseason and his FT percentage was bellow 50%. Coach Woodson seems unable to maximize this team's potential but they are a lock for the playoffs.

Boston Celtics: They are my pick for the NBA championship as long as they stay healthy. Rasheed Wallace playing DHoward 1-1 and KG on the weak side eliminate Orlando's advantage plus they match up well with the Lakers. Might need to sign a back up PG since Eddie House is a 2 and Marquis Daniels has played SG/F for his entire career.

Charlotte Bobcats: The team has been up for sale the last months and Larry Brown is known for taking bad teams and leading them to the playoffs but it takes time and this ain't happening this year...

Chicago Bulls: Losing Ben Gordon to free agency might have hurt them but I expect DRose to take over and the rest of the youth do develop. The mix of youth and veterans in their roster will take them to the playoffs but they only seem to be first round bound.

Cleveland Cavaliers: They needed versatile wings but they ended up with Shaq, Anthony Paker and Jamario Moon..Still, they got Lebron who claims to be a year stronger and better but it's hard to envision them taking it all the way; injuries will play a big part on their quest to success.

Dallas Mavericks: On paper they got better (Marion, Gooden, Tim Thomas), Dirk looks better than ever taking the summer off and Rick Carlisle is an established coach.; the bad? Josh Hpward could be out for a few more weeks...Expect BIG things!

Denver Nuggets: Carmelo is probably gonna have his best year in the league and like Sir Charles said he's probably the best pure scorer in the league. They lost some firepower (Kleiza, D.Jones) but J.R. Smith should explode as a starter.

Detroit Pistons: A big question mark; John Kuester (Detroit's fifth coach in nine seasons btw) seems to have abandoned Motown's traditional defense for a more up tempo style,;expect Hamilton or Prince to get traded..

Golden State Warriors: The Dubs once again have turmoil surrounding their season; it all starts up at the top of the organization though so let's just hope for more exciting basketball and less drama.

Houston Rockets: Clearly on a transition season with Yao and T-Mac probably lost for the season; don't expect them to quit though as Rick Adelman has made the playoffs for 17 years except for 2 season with, gues what, the Warriors...

Indiana Pacers: Another team on rebuilding mode, Danny Granger is phenomenal but he's gonna be alone with Lil Dun sidelined..

L.A. Clippers: They made some moves and they should be in the playoffs come season end as long as they stay healthy and develop some chemistry; Blake Griffin is either gonna be the ROY or the second coming of Danny Manning (he injured his knee during the last preseason game).

L.A. Lakers: Questions about the team's chemistry have risen since Ron Ron joined the Lakers show but this is where Zen Master comes in plus, although I hate to admit it ,Kobe is the best leader/player in the game..I can only see Boston preventing them from repeating but it's a long a season so we just have to wait and see.

Memphis Grizzlies: Yes Zach Randolph and AI are a bad fit for the exciting young trio of OJ, Gay and Conley..expect Z-Bo to get into a fight with one of his teammates and AI to be traded, a disaster in the horizon.

Miami Heat: They really haven't upgraded to any position since last year so the pressure is again gonna be on DWade to deliver unless Beasley explodes..Jermaine O'Neal claims to be in top form from his Pacers years just like Beasley said he was going for the MVP award last year..what's wrong in South Beach???

Milwaukee Bucks: Jennings leads the league in turnovers and Michael Redd gets traded for a 2nd rounder..what do you expect after this summer's sellout???

Minnesota Timberwolves: Season doesn't look good with a rookie PG running the team (no it's not Rubio) and Love, Jefferson sidelined at least for the first month but they weren't going to be good even if they were healthy..

New Jersey Nets: Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov reached an agreement to buy 80 percent of the team last week and nearly half of a project to build a new arena in Brooklyn then went on to spend $18757 on Lunch with Six Friends..oh, and for $25K Brook Lopez will come to your house for your birthday party!

New Orleans Hornets: CP3 all alone..Byron Scott is gonna be the first coach getting the axe this season and although he's just a mediocre head coach it's the management that blew it the last couple years.

New York Knicks: Hmmm, now that the Yankees play the Phillies for the world series they should be irrelevant for another month or so..clearly, they are shooting for next year's big FA market so expectations are kinda low..

Oklahoma City Thunder: You gotta love the young nucleus of Durant-Westbrook-Green-Harden but they were afraid to spend during the summer and add some veterans who are known to win in this league; defense has to reach the NBA level, otherwise they will remain a joke.

Orlando Magic: They are deeper and tougher (Bass & Barnes); everybody slept on them last year but they made the NBA Finals and lost only because of inexperience so they are poised to make it back there..

Philadelphia 76ers: New coach (Eddie Jordan) and Elton Brand is back but they will be missing Andre Miller's leadership..

Phoenix Suns: The Nash-Amar'e era is not over but they need to rebuild as this group of players hasn't been able to take it to the next level.

Portland TrailBlazers: High expectations for a team that added Andre Miller (although he won't be a starter); Greg Oden has been playing up to his potential but for some reason they don't look like contenders.

Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans is good, the rest of the team??? ugh

San Antonio Spurs: They are back on track with Manu healthy and a new SF, Richard Jefferson; Tim Duncan will be playing with a knee brace for the season and their starting C is 35y old Antonio McDyess. Sure they will be trouble for the Lakers but I don't see them beating the trio of Gasol-Bynum-Odom..

Toronto Raptors: People expect a big season for them but I'm afraid they will probably miss the playoffs..their roster has "overpaid underachievers" written all over. And hold on, Jay Triano is an NBA head coach???

Utah Jazz: Once again, a solid team with a solid head coach, question is can they make it to the next level? Yes if they stay healthy and figure out the SG position.

Washington Wizards: Arenas needs to become a true leader and the whole team has got to stop the beef with Lebron..It appears that they are cursed as Jamison is out for a few weeks but even if they are healthy they lack the big bodies to compete with the rest of the powerhouses..

Time for some serious basketball...

Fast rewind: EuroBasket 2007, held in Spain was a wild tournament with exciting basketball, close games, crazy comebacks (most notable Greece completing a furious 14-1 to end the game against Slovenia in the quarterfinals) and a final that saw host Spain losing to a buzzer beater by a Pittsburgh native playing for Russia, J.R. Holden.

EuroBasket 2009 will take place in Poland in the next couple weeks and while there are some notable players missing the competition level will definitely be high with no clear favorites for the top 3 seeds and with 6 spots for the 2010 World Championships up for grabs.

Very few teams will appear at full strength laying the ground for potential upsets. Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman (Germany), J.R. Holden, Victor Khryapa and Eurobasket 2007 MVP Andrei Kirilenko (Russia), Jose Calderon (Spain), Dimitris Diamantidis and Theo Papaloukas (Greece), Beno Udrih, Rasho Nesterovic and Sasha Vujacic (Slovenia), Ramunas Siskauskas, Rimantas Kaukėnas and Šarūnas Jasikevičius (Lithuania), Igor Rakosevic, Darko Milicic (Serbia), Mehmet Okur (Turkey), Luol Deng (Great Britain) are all out of the tournament. Moreover Spain’s superstars Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez are plagued by minor injuries which might affect their performance and France’s Tony Parker will be playing although he suffered a sprained right ankle early in the summer.Who are the stars in Poland? The Gasol brothers, Ricky Rubio, Hedo Türkoğlu, Marcin Gortat, Andris Biedrins and Linas Kleiza among others; let’s break down the teams in groups.

THE CONTENDERS:

GREECE: They will be missing 4 starters (Papaloukas, Diamantidis, Papadopoulos and Tsartsaris) and they have a new head coach, experienced Lithuanian journeyman Jonas Kazlauskas who promised to play a more up-tempo style of basketball. Ex Rocket Vassilis Spanoulis is the leader of a team who added former Gator Nick Calathes and upcoming big Jazzman Kosta Koufos. They are deep and talented and can still play the pick n roll but they will be missing their 2 best defenders and that’s something that will probably come to haunt them.

LITHUANIA: A traditional superhouse but they will be missing the heart and soul of the team Šarūnas Jasikevičius (among others). Many expect Linas Kleiza to take over and lead this very talented but he will need lots of help. Again, Lithuania is missing experience and leadership but the team is consisted of a relatively young group eager for success and personal recognition. Watch out for young point guard Mantas Kalnietis who might be the best newcomer of the tournament.

SLOVENIA: Scoring PG Jaka Lakovic, former NBAer Boki Nachbar and post player Matjas Smodis will be leading an experienced group looking to make some noise. Slovenia has always competed at the highest level but personal feuds and constant turmoil in the locker room has kept them away from the top. This tournament will be another chance to prove people wrong but anything less than a medal will be considered a failure.

SPAIN: A tremendously deep team even without Jose Calderon and former captain Carlos Jimenez they are the clear cut favorite of the tournament. Injuries to Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez might slow them down but this is a thirsty team that could be competing in the NBA level. They destroyed opponents in exhibition games showing the world that they are on a mission.

THE PRETENDERS

BULGARIA: Let’s just say that Bulgaria is happy to have qualified in the tournament. There are zero expectations for this team as its best player Ibrahim Jaaber won't play at the EuroBasket because of his Muslim faith. Other than naturalized former NBAer (with Utah and Indiana) Andre Brown, the overall talent is below average and they will have to pull a miracle to get past the first round.

GREAT BRITAIN: This squad looked good on paper a couple months ago with talented NBAers Keleena Azubuike, Luol Deng and Ben Gordon; unfortunately none of them is playing, for different reasons, so all eyes will be on big man Pops Mensah-Bonsu.

ISRAEL: They have been consistent but only as mediocre team and they will be entering this year’s tournament with confidence and a group of proven European players, notably SG Yotam Halperim, and F Lior Eliyahu. King’s first round pick in this year’s NBA draft Omri Casspi decided to pull off the team and focus on making it to the NBA hurting Israel’s chances.

LATVIA: Led by Warriors big man Andris Biedrins they are poised to succeed after two straight EuroBaskets without a win and a similar disaster two years ago. Problem is they are relying too much on Biedrins and they are lacking the necessary perimeter shooting to complement the inside game.

THE UNDERDOGS:

CROATIA: They are lacking a flashy superstar but they are a solid, well coached group, relying on a consistent system. They are always trying to take advantage of match-ups with their opponents and they have a balanced group of players. Sharpshooter Marko Tomas is the late victim of an injury bug that seems to have hit this year’s EuroBasket so Bucks PG Roko-Leni Ukic will have to deliver big for them.

FRANCE: You really don’t know what to expect from a French team that had to work hard during the summer going through an additional qualifying round. It looks though that France is finally peaking at the right time and appears to be ready to take on the best in Europe. Tony Parker, Ronny Turiaf, Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum will provide an outstanding combination of speed, athleticism and quickness but defense has always been the black hole for team France.

RUSSIA: Yes they are the returning EuroBasket champions but key subtractions make them a whole new and young team that lost much firepower on both ends of the floor and their top 3 players (Kirilenko, J.R. Holden, Khryapa). Russia coach David Blatt promised his team will be competitive enough to defend its title but it’s hard to see that materialize on the court.

SERBIA: Serbia has been trying to reclaim its power as they traditionally produced great players (Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic). At the moment they are a very talented but young team as outside of Nenad Krstic, Popovic (26) and Kecman (33), every single player is under 24. Expect to see a preview of their future but it seems as they are not ready to compete at the highest level right now.

THE QUESTION MARKS:

F.Y.R.O.M. : A very interesting team that showed lots of promise during exhibition games they are led by veteran G Vrbica Stefanov who is ending his legendary career and a group of naturalized American players, former Tiger Darius Washington, former Wildcat Jeremiah Massey (who is enjoying a very successful career in Europe) and big man Mike Wilkinson. They are ready to perform on the big stage again and are considered a possible upset.

GERMANY: Team Germany has been very successful in the recent years due mainly to no other than NBA All Star Dirk Nowitzki. Even though without Dirk and Chris Kaman, expect a very competitive hard working young team which again will be led by successful veteran coach, Dirk Bauermann.

TURKEY: Team Turkey has been traditionally a good team but only on paper. Hedo Turkoglu, coming from a fantastic season with Orlando teams with former Buck Ersan Ilyasova, to form a dynamic duo at the forward positions but they will be missing the other NBAer, big man Mehmet Okur who apparently clashed with head coach Bogdan Tanjevic.

POLAND: They obviously have the home court advantage but they will be relying on 40 year old Polish legend Adam Wojcik and C Marcin Gortat, who is not Dwight Howard. They might be dangerous as they showed flashes during exhibition games and don’t forget that home teams have traditionally been very successful.

For complete coverage of the tourney, news, schedule and rosters visit the official website of 2009 EuroBasket: http://www.eurobasket2009.org

Social Networking = trouble!

Most of you probably know the dangers of social networking today; yap a facebook account is fun and might help you get together with old classmates but nowadays employers are doing extensive research on people's accounts looking for reasons to hire or even worse fire potential/current employees..Anyway. I don't want to go too deep you can always check a couple sites about people tweeting or texting too much...Things can get really ugly when it comes down to famous people like I've explained in the recent Brandon Jennings fiasco and the reason of this post is to try and share with you a couple notables tweets from basketball people who keep proving that they don't get it and that they just live in a different planet...

• Enter Rashad McCants, a 5year NBA veteran known for his scoring ability and selfish play on the court but also for his erratic persona out of it. Rashad is a straight forward guy who uses his twitter to give all kinds of opinions/advice, let's check his thoughts:

That doesn't sound bad; instead it's a totally legit point coming from a guy with a fat pocket who probably dated a couple groupies looking to hit the jackpot. Btw Rashad also used to date Khloe Kardashian...
Another solid advice by Rashad although it makes you wonder about how well he manages his bank account; to his credit the Louis Vuitton toiletries bag is as much of a requirement as Beats headphones in the NBA league.
I failed to mention that Rashad is a Free Agent this summer and he's been looking for a new K, he's only 24y old and his future looks bright right??? If you were wondering where is he spending his time until he finds a job Rashad is too kind to give you the answer...

• On to my favorite overrated NBA player, Stephon Marbury; Stephon was given the opportunity to resurrect his NBA career last year after being released by the Knicks and playing with the Boston Celtics. This couldn't be a better situation for a player who has been labeled as selfish and not a winner. Well Marbury is also a free agent and he recently rejected an offer from Boston for the veteran's minimum for a chance to compete for an NBA championship, I mean who would say no to that opportunity at the age of 32?? Well Stephon did showing how much of a disconnect there is between professional athletes and the real world...
• Jeanie Buss is the daughter of Los Angeles Laker owner Jerry Buss. Jeanie went to school at USC and studied business administration. She posed nude for Playboy magazine in 1995, and two years later she posed naked for Sports Illustrated. Jeanie is currently dating Laker coach Phil Jackson, and used to date tennis star John McEnroe..In other words a typical SoCal spoiled broad, oh wait she's also the Executive Vice President of Business Operations of the Lakers!!! Want proof of her basketball operations skills??? Check her twitter from a Finals Game, she's probably talking to her dog about all the important decisions she has to make...
  

Surpised??? My picks are already creating turmoil..

I called it but damn even me didn't expect to be so true the next morning...
Apparently Jennings twitter page went down after he proved he's unable to manage his image on the web...Jennings is tight with rapper Joe Budden and Budden does a bit of his own web streaming. Poor Brandon was trying to get on Joe Budden TV, the rapper's live video feed...well good for him he made it down there but the result is way too embarrassing, here's our little start talking about a variety of topics

Here's the transcript for those of you who really want to know about Brandon's maturity level:

On next season in Milwaukee ...

Budden: You better worry about Ramon Sessions, diggin' in your a**, pause.
Jennings: He's not going to be here. [inaudible] That money is going to Charlie.
Budden: N****, Ramon Sessions is gonna be there.
Jennings: I doubt it.
Budden: They ain't go no other guards.
Jennings: Ridnour.
Budden: N****, get that bum-a** n**** outta here.
Jennings: He's going to be a backup.
Budden: To who?
Jennings: To who? Who else n****?

On what happened on draft night ...

Budden: Who was hatin' on you?
Jennings: Jay Bilas.
Budden: What happened? You ran in the draft late or some dumb s*** like a loser?
Jennings: No, I was at the hotel. This is what happened right. My agent is like "Well, we ain't hear nothing .We ain't have no guarantee." So we makin' phone calls and s*** and n***** is saying like "The workouts is great and everything and he's the best point guard but we don't know yet, we just don't know."
Budden: They didn't say that about Rick Rubio, number one, and number two they didn't say you the best point guard. They said your jump shot is shaky, you got some potential, but your work ethic is bull****. You averaged 3 points.
Jennings: You're a liar. I know you're lying now.
Budden: I'm just telling you what they said.
Jennings: That ain't nothing but a college person.
Budden: Just tell me what happened. You end up running in the draft? I tunred it off after that.
Jennings: No, n****, I came out there and made my appearance n**** and I had the best appearance out of all them n******. And I was the best dressed, they said, by the way. I was the best dressed.

On whether he'll start next season ...

Budden: You think you gonna start for real though?
Jennings: I don't know, actually, I really don't know.
Budden: I heard that n**** Scott Skiles is an a**h***.
Jennings: That n**** tough, that n**** tough though. There must be a reason he liked me. There must be a reason.

On Ricky Rubio and the Knicks ...

Budden: Let me know when Minnesota get there. So I can watch Rubio light your f****** a** up. I never seen a n**** hate on Rubio so much.
Jennings: [inaudible]
Budden: You know what's funny? You're the only guard in the draft talking s*** about Rubio.
Jennings: The other n***** are scared.
Budden: What are you going to do when Rubio comes to the Knicks?
Jennings: Rubio is not coming, they are not giving up Rubio. You got Jordan Hill, you happy with that?
Budden: I don't really know enough about Jordan Hill to be happy ... I'm happy with Toney Douglas.
Jennings: I know they were booing this n****.
Budden: What does that mean? They boo everybody n****.
Jennings: If it was Stpehen Curry, them n***** would've went crazy in there.
Budden: Shut the f*** up, you don't even know nothing about New York basketball.
Jennings: F*** the Knicks, them n***** skipped out on me.
Budden: Oh man, you feel to the Knicks like I do about Jay-Z? [Laughs] Yo, the Knicks is your Jay-Z?
Jennings: F*** the Knicks, them n***** is always going to be weak.
Budden: This is where I f****** hang up on your f****** ass for talking stupid.
Jennings: Duhon ain't gonna get it done.

Let's just say that we are all excited for Jenning's upcoming career on and off the court!

Moving on to our next project, DeJuan Blair I'm glad that GM's followed (obviously) my advice and skipped picking him for the entire 1st round till he eventually got drafted by San Antonio at 37. Everybody says it was a steal I'm saying SA is a smart franchise..they are taking a risk but with minimal financial impact, what are you risking? $880,000? That’s a drop in the bucket...2nd round picks don't have their contracts guaranteed and that's why teams avoided getting him in the 1st round, I mean who goes out and drafts a basketball player with no ACL in both knees??? In high school, Blair tore both of his ACLs and had them surgically repaired. Blair’s scar tissue essentially got re-absorbed by his body and the result left Blair with essentially no ACLs and some team physicians feel that Blair could eventually develop a nagging issue that could wear him down a few years down the road...Really???

As for Tyreke??? He went as high as No 4, Sacto is totally excited but really he ain't no PG and once Ricky Rubio's star starts to shine he'll already be the second coming of Larry Hughes...

Memo to NBA teams: stay away from these cats...

With NBA draft 2009 only hours away, endless mock drafts, lots of trade action and Shaq joining Cleveland and becoming "The Witness Protection" I want to take a step back and alert NBA teams on how to avoid drafting poorly and risking their jobs (I still can't believe Steve Kerr, John Paxson and Chris Wallace have a job as an NBA GM - just check their track record, it says FAILURE)..I don't claim to have any secret insight or something but I've been keeping notes on all those pospects for the last month or so..Inspired by this great article on biggest NBA busts here are my candidates for this year's draft:

• Brandon Jennings, PG: "Most Important thing about the Draft/NBA, Get on a TEAM that fits your game and kill those 3yrs and GET THAT Big 2nd contract! O yea and WIN" That's a line from his twitter account a couple weeks ago..Let me get it straight to you guys, BJ is Marcus Williams' cousin, for those of you who follow NBA Marcus is a very talented PG who was drafted by the Nets, had a great first-half season and then got traded to the Warriors...Word is that the reason he's out of the league now is his attitude, no surpise there...A year ago today, Jennings was the best high school point guard in the country, a sure-bet to crack the top five in this year's draft. Jennings committed to play at the University of Arizona but failed to meet academic standards and therefore became the first American to skip college and play professionally in Europe since the NBA's age restriction rule was implemented. He signed with Lottomatica Roma, a top professional team, for $1.2 million, plus a $2 million endorsement deal with Under Armour. In Italy, his practice time far exceeded his playing time. European style revolves around the entire team getting involved, rather than exploiting individual skills. He claimed the team treated him "like a little kid," and couldn't understand why the coach insisted on getting every player into the game. What was this, the YMCA? He played in 27 of 30 games for Lottomatica Roma, which went 20-10 and reached the Italian League semifinals. The ostensibly best point guard American high schools had to offer averaged 5.1 points and 2.1 assists....There are those darn numbers, mocking him, possibly reducing his value in the draft. He went to Europe to polish his skills, to bide time until the moment he fantasized about finally materialized. Today, word is he will be slipping in the draft just like Rashard Lewis a few years ago...
• Tyreke Evans, SG, Memphis: His talent is unquestionable but what everybody is missing is that on Tuesday, 18-year-old Pennsylvanian Jamar Evans was sentenced nine-to-20 years in prison for the drive-by shooting murder of 19-year-old Marcus Reason..Jamar is Tyreke's cousin and as we know all too well, many professional athletes have relatives who commit heinous crimes. But there's a twist in this case, one which doesn't implicate Tyreke but pops your eyes wide open: when Jamar Evans shot and killed Reason, Tyreke Evans was his driver. Tyreke Evans was never charged in connection with the murder. The prospect was expected to testify on behalf of his cousin, the Times reports, but never did before Jamar Evans pled guilty. A relative of Reason told the Times he felt Tyreke should have been charged with accessory to murder...you know the facts, now who's willing to take such a gamble???
• DeJuan Blair, F, Pittsburgh: This has nothing to do with character issues it's just that I've been around long enough to be able to identify talent, Blair is the second coming of Robert "Tractor" Taylor, undersized, crafty but not NBA bound...if you think that thing will be able to survive with the Duncans and the Stoudemires good luck...
  
  
  
  
  

Will Ferrell..period!

Add this to why he's my favorite comedian...best skit ever!!! It's called "Let us play with your look" and no I don't want to take anything away from Jimmy Fallon..

California living...

I've been practicing my photography skills lately only to find out that I probably need a better (professional) camera...(That's probably the most boring sentence of this post, trust me keep reading...)

Both my late night drink exits last week were violently interrupted due to a bar fight ..I'm getting tired of that shit and the smurfs jumping into the conversation I'm having with a French girl who is obsessed with Sakis, telling me I have to clear the premises asap...oh and please don't forget to pick up the tab...
It's getting even harder to have good times around Broadway since San Francisco is the first city to ban loitering outside nightclubs...too much regulation might end up killing one of the most funny places in earth to party...

DNA lounge gets my vote for the most interesting spot around the Bay Area as it offers everything: A full service kitchen with Mexican food, while computers are made available throughout the club that features a wireless network as well. There is a main stage and a second stage that boasts its own sound system, and there are three bars...Did I mention that they also have a webcam just so that you can check the action???

Speaking of sound systems I was trying to get some gas the other day at this station next to my place when a totally decent guy pulled over with his truck right next to me; I was like, "U r lost or something, need help finding your way???" Apparently he wanted to sell me a 42'' Plasma TV with a Dolby Surround system for only $150 because he had missed the deadline and his boss was going to be mad at him...well I didn't buy into that story and after offering $100 I said thanks but no thanks!
Little Star Pizza is another food paradise I recently discovered...It offers deep dish pizza with cheese at the bottom and all kinds of toppings at the top for a reasonable price..don't tell me you are not hungry!!!

Saving the best for last check out what a 30ish lady told me the other night: "I'll be your sexual bunny and entertain your every fantasy..All I am asking is for you to assist me with my mortgage...
See yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Stay classy Panathinaikos....

Το να εισαι αξιος πρωταθλητης και μαλιστα επι σειρα ετων σημαινει οτι σαν προπονητης εχεις καταφερει να γινεις απολυτος κατοχος και δασκαλος του παιχνιδιου, example Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson... it's about reaching that point where not only you don't care about what other people are saying (from fans, to media, to referees...) but you are able to deceit and manipulate them...I mean Zen Master is the perfect example, check this video here, where Phil Jackson calls a timeout with his team up by 30 and then tells D'Antoni (the opponent's coach) "What the (beep) is wrong with you? Go sit down!" without getting whistled for a T...
Apparently Zelimir Obradovic prefers to act like the 5 year old kid whose candy was stolen...Οχι πως λεω οτι ηταν σωστο το timing της ερωτησης απο τον αστειο αυτο δημοσιογραφο Καρμοιρη αλλα η αντιδραση του δειχνει την αδυναμια του να τον αντιμετωπισει και να τον γελοιοποιησει...

obradovic vs karmoiris
by dubbit13

Τι να πει κανεις ομως και για την διοικηση αυτης της ομαδας η οποια αδυνατει να δειξει οποιοδηποτε επιπεδο αξιοπρεπειας και μετα την κατακτηση του Ευρωπαικου τροπαιου εξέφρασε και επισήμως τα παράπονά του για τη διαιτησία του Αρτεάγκα στον τελικό του Final Four...

"Με μεγάλη μας έκπληξη διαπιστώνουμε πως δεν έχετε τιμωρήσει ακόμα τον συγκεκριμένο διαιτητή όπως έχετε κάνει στο παρελθόν με άλλες παρόμοιες διαιτησίες. Ελπίζουμε πραγματικά πως θα τον τιμωρήσετε παραδειγματικά για όσα διέπραξε".

Ποιος??? Η ίδια ομάδα η οποια λογω ενος εσφαλμενου σφυριγματος εκλεψε τον 1ο ευρωπαικο της τιτλο το 1996...

Quick Picks Second Round...

The Chicago - Boston series was sure 1 for the ages (a very nice collection of highlights here)...The Bulls played a good game and made it an epic series but the truth is they are still young and inexperienced, let's hope they can capitalize on this year as they have a tendency to get worse after promising seasons...Cleveland, Denver and the Lakers looked great in the first round while Orlando, Dallas and Houston showed that they are capable of moving past solid teams...Round 2 is next with some equally exciting and promising match ups, let's break them down...

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Cleveland vs (4) Miami
Atlanta has a very athletic team and is so dominant playing home but they are such a bad matchup for Cleveland...They might have a chance stealing 1 if the Cavs appear lethargic and grumpy as they haven't played a game for 10 days but on the other side the same Cleveland team lost only 2 games at home this season.. Bibby did a good job defending Wade at times, but he’s too small for Lebron, and while Evans/Johnson are far more athletic they’re also too small. FYI Josh Smith doesn’t do one-on-one defense. Hawks need Joe Johnson to stay HOT through the series but that’s it. Atlanta showed very little in the first series - teams that get blown out three times in a series by Miami don’t exactly earn my vote of confidence.
Prediction: Cavs in 5 (sweep alert)

(2) Celtics vs (3) Magic

Orlando has a great chance of making this a quick series. They have to take advantage of Celtic's fatigue and injuries, play some aggressive defense and kill them in 5 or 6 games. Boston has the home court and they've proved that they are too hard to die in a 7 game situation...I just can’t go against guys like Pierce, Ray, Rondo and Doc Rivers down the stretch of a close game..Orlando has a tremendous advantage at the 4 and 5 position: Rashard Lewis should explode as there's no 1 that can defend him on the Celtics team (except if Brian Scalabrine decides he's a actually an NBA player and not a mascot) and Dwight...well he's Superman..Bench production is also gonna be huge, Celts bench nearly cost them the first round series, adding nothing in all but two of the games...Magic were supposed to lose game six in Philly, with Howard being suspended but with the great play of the "Polish Hammer", they were able to handle the ’76ers with ease...
Prediction: Magic in 6 (Boston will win it if it goes to a 7 game series)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Los Angeles vs (5) Houston
Kobe Bryant missed practice yesterday with a sore throat...I hope he has the swine flu and he contaminates all Lakers fans...ok, excuse me for the outbreak back to reality. The Lakers are just too versatile and Houston is strong enough defensively to slow them down a little....The combination of having to contain the game’s most potent scorer while keeping tabs on two talented postmen is too much for almost anyone..The Rockets are physical and playing extremely well, but the Lakers just survived a team on-par with Houston for physicality (Utah), and besides, I get the feeling LA haven’t even begun to stretch their legs. . If Yao can finally step it up and take advantage of Bynum's injury they might have a chance. Key factor will be the play of Rockets PG Aaron Brooks; if he can constantly score 15 through the series Lakers might be in trouble and again don't forget that home team will be a little rusty for the 1st game.
Prediction: Lakers in 6

(2) Denver vs (6) Dallas
I really like Denver to win it all only because of the solid leadership of Chauncey Billups. Their bench has emerged and they are the best lteam in the league to take a 10 point lead and push it to 30...just check what happened to the poor Hornets..Arguably the two most in-form teams in the playoffs but Denver has the edge here. A final note: JR Smith's nickname should be Morton 'cause he's always pouring salt in wounds...
Prediction: Denver in 5

NBA PLAYOFFS 2009 - 1st Round Predictions...

Best 2 months of the season about to start, some great match ups in this year's first round will make things even more exciting! Other than that Sixers team everybody is going to be in totally competitive mood..And 1 quick note, everybody says it's gonna be Lakers - Cavs playing in June's Finals and I guess it's happening for a couple reasons mostly because of ratings and NBA looking to create a new rivalry (insert Lebron vs Kobe here) BUT I got a feeling somewhere down the road there's gonna be a big time upset...Let's break them down:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Cleveland vs (8) Detroit

It seems that after the epic performance of Lebron during the 2007 Playoffs this Detroit Pistons team is in its downfall..The Pistons are still the most dangerous below .500 team ever to be in the Playoffs because of the collective experience of their veteran starters but where's the motive??? Michael Curry has done a great job coaching a group of veterans who are so hard to be coached, Detroit has had 4 coaches in the last 6 years!!! On the other side there's Cleveland , a team with great chemistry, playing with home court advantage and 1 goal, the ring...The biggest factor besides the presence of LBJ is the absence of AI. Without him the Pistons don’t have anyone else who can compensate for his 18 points and 5 assists...this team has so many holes, and has also lost its leader so can the Pistons make a series out of it??? Let's just say the odds are better for Charlie Villanueva to grow some hair...
Prediction: Cavs in 5 (sweep alert)

(2) Celtics vs (7) Bulls

Well Chicago already managed to pull the upset with a historic game by ROY Derrick Rose (first ever rookie to have 35 & 10 in his playoff debut, he actually had 36 &11) but I'm really not so sold on those Baby Bulls..While the mid season trade has made them a better overall team they are still too inexperienced to pull the upset.. Boston isn't looking good too, with KG probably out for most for the season, but worst case scenario would be for the Celtics to go back to their last year's habits (e.g needed 7th game to win series against Atlanta and Cleveland), they are so damn good to get eliminated even without their emotional leader.
Prediction: Celtics in 7 (although for those of you who watched the game the Bulls have unveiled their well hidden weapon for the series, Vinny's Del Negro's dad, great story here).

(3) Orlando vs (6) Philadelphia
I heard some people talking upset in this series mainly due to the Magic finishing poor the season (by losing games to Knicks and Bucks) while resting injured stars Turkoglu and Lewis...well guess again, Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard is going to bring his A game against a team that is lacking it's best interior presence, Elton Brand and is last in the league in hitting 3's..Orlando will probably double team Iguodala so role players will have to hit big shots...
Prediction: Magic in 5

(4) Atlanta vs (5) Miami
For me, the most interesting series in the East, Hawks look ready to take it to the next level but can they do it again Flash??? Dwyane Wade this year has been injury free creating highlight reels every single night, most important he showed us that he's back and ready to take the Miami franchise on his shoulders. Atlanta clearly has the edge with a balanced, athletic team that can run and shoot from everywhere but Miami's goal should be to try and stay close till the end of the games..if they can manage that then Wade, 1 of the best finishers in the game will be able to take over and deliver...BIG. It's Atlanta's series to lose folks and I never liked coach Woodson for that team!
Prediction: Miami in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Los Angeles vs (8) Utah
...Mmmm, I really don't have anything left for here, like.. seriously, the Jazz lost home games against the Wolves (24-58) and the Dubs (29-53) last week to finish a horrendous season where they witnessed: their starting PG, All Star Deron Williams missing the first 20 games, then coming back, then losing F Carlos Boozer for most of season, him coming back but never being the same old Booz (reason possibly being going through a painfull divorce), owner Larry Miller dying after battling diabetes for years,want more??? Yes, it appears that the team's chemistry has been damaged and with Memo Okur not being 100% I don't see them getting it done against a cocky Laker team claiming that everything THAN winning the championship makes the season a failure (yap, it's that kind of attitude people in LA are known to have...)
Prediction: Lakers in 5 (Jazz has 1 of the best home courts in the history of NBA so they might be able to steal 1)

(2) Denver vs (7) New Orleans
It's very unfortunate that 1 of those teams will be eliminated in the 1st round..Denver is coming off a great season, the difference being made by Chauncey Billups; he was the missing part, a general, a true leader and a clutch performer who makes solid decisions and loves to play under pressure..Now, Denver is coached by George Carl, first thing that comes up to my mind??? This!Biggest upset of all times...I enjoy watching the Nuggets play but I'm not afraid to say that other than Billups I consider this team a bunch of immature gangsters from Martin, to Melo, to J.R. Smitht to Chris Andersen who are known to do stupid things in n out of the court: from flagrant fouls, to brawls, to ill advised plays, to refusing coming out of the game, to meaningless confrontations, to drugs, DUI's blahhhhh blahhh blahhhh...
Many people have been saying that Melo is a different person after last summer's experience with the US team in Beijing but really, Chauncey has been the stabilizer....against a very poised New Orleans team run by NBA sensation Crhis Paul the only certain thing is a long and exciting series as long as New Orleans stays healthy..they are not deep but other than Paul they have a great starting 5 with the best offensive rebounder in the game (Chandler) and my boy Peja, 1 of the best all time 3 point shooters.
Prediction: Denver in 6

(3) San Antonio vs (6) Dallas

Dallas has been cruising under the radar for the last couple weeks going from potentially missing the playoffs to climbing at the No6 seed and so the ailing Spurs without Manu Ginobli and a quickly aging Tim Duncan will try to hold court against the surging Mavericks who have won seven out of nine! If Ginobili was healthy, this isn’t even a series. but with his injury, it makes the spurs vulnerable..Duncan ALWAYS turns it up in the playoffs, he looked slower last year, then game 1 of the playoffs, he drops 40...even on one knee, he’s gonna eat Dampier and Bass alive. Howard is a spurs killer, so he’ll be that x-factor... I'm going with experience here, San Antonio always comes up with phenomenal plays, they just deny to lose...Have to say though that this is a totally winnable series for a Dallas team that lost its swagger after getting humiliated in the 1st round of the 2007 playoffs by those Dubs!
Prediction: Spurs in 7

(4) Portland vs (5) Houston

There’s almost no difference between these teams statistically and that's why it makes sense for them to be the number4 and 5 seed respectively..In a playoff year that is full of entertaining first round match-ups, the showdown between Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets has to be at the top. The Trail Blazers have been tagged as the team of the future as their blend of youth and a defensive mindset has them maturing rapidly. The inexperience of the Blazers is going to be a factor many will bring up, but it could actually help a team that is ignorant to how big the moment is. The Rockets have the T.O.-esque diva, Tracy McGrady, who bounced back and forth before finally ending his season to get knee surgery. Then there is Ron Artest, who has the ability to break down his opponent, or just plain break down and Yao has not found the keys for a playoff success..add this to Rick Adelman's woes during his stints with Portland (lost to NBA finals by Bulls) and Kings (lost memorable 7th game by Lakers) and I see the youngsters advancing and giving some serious trouble to the Lakers...
Prediction: Portland in 7

"Role Models" Best comedy of the year so far..

Ok, I can go on with all the stereotypes: "This film is never cheesy or overdone. It is honest and never takes the easy way out. I laughed from start to finish. It's not particularly high brow, but it does take a fairly usual concept - hating your job and letting life pass you by, and having to deal with the consequences - and does some unique stories with it".
BUT, comedy crossing the line is why you should watch Role models..EXAMPLE:

"Beyonce pouring sugar on my d#$@"

Wheeler has to complete 150 hrs of community service; therefore, he is assigned a foul-mouthed black kid who likes to draw pictures like the above 1...
There are lots of laugh really hard out loud moments. I thought it was better written and well acted, with only few potty jokes and a lot more humor...

What's wrong with kids today (SPORTS EDITION)

THE FACTS: I was at a high school lacrosse game the other day sitting at the stands but very close to the coach of the home team...Other than knowing the game and having a solid game plan I think great coaches are able to motivate their players whenever, wherever...In a nippy and rainy Saturday morning those 16 yr old were facing this instead of that... at the same time they were playing a Division I playoff game but the lack of hustle and energy was obvious..with time running down, the coach was heard screaming to its players "If there's no grass on the field you GOTTA play in the mud..." Great motivation there right??? Especially if it comes from a mad white Irish dude about to have a stroke and multiple heart attacks..

THE PROBLEM: Well kids started laughing (after leaving the bench and entering the court), some of the bench players were heard calling the coach homo/faggot (when he was like 1 mile away from the bench) while all kind of jokes were provided by entrepreneurs in the stands...

THE DIAGNOSIS: Kids today are soft and spoiled, period.They don't know and they don't appreciate how good they got it..No agency cared if our parents beat us..As a matter of fact the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Band aids??? Hello??? My first basketball game was next to a chicken coop out of a wooden bucket previously filled with tomatoes...that's mud AND poop at the same time! Can you feel me??? You're spoiled! You guys wouldn't have lasted a minute back in the 90's...

And please don't get me wrong I'm not saying we should go back to that:

Although we get a very entertaining point about Greeks and what's wrong with them being lazy and not wanting to work...

Time to review some MOVIES!!!

Caught a glimpse of Pulp Fiction the other day and I'm currently stuck with 1 of the best dialogues E-V-E-R..

Why do we feel it's necessary to talk about bullshit in order to be comfortable? - I don't know. That's a good question. - That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the fuck up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence...

Back to reality I'm going to list a couple of notable movies I've recently seen...

BOTTLE SHOCK:

A great story, taking place at the 70's, about Napa Valley and how the US wines managed to appear in the world market making a name for themselves...Jim Barrett is a down on his luck vineyard owner, whose last few seasons trying to make a decent Chardonnay, haven't bore any fruit and he isn't getting anywhere, no thanks to his uninterested son, Bo, a laid back, party loving surfer dude. When British oenologist Steven Spurrier (pictured above), owner of a Parisian boutique specializing in world wines, decides to pit the famed invincible French wines against unknown foreign product, he makes the trip out to the California hills, in order to locate worthy competition in his contest. As he slowly makes his way through the various locations and wine products, Spurrier raises the local hopes that their brands might get some much needed recognition on the global scale.

Best small budget movies are always the ones based on real-life events, especially inspired ones about underdogs who make their mark in the world. Most of the varied cast are memorable in their individual roles: Alan Rickman portrays Steven Spurrier with panache, as the ever-stereotypical wine snob looking for a way to increase business in his small specialty wine shop. Director/writer Randall Miller gives Rickman great lines, without making him a villain in any way, shape or form...Up and coming actor Chris Pine also shines as Bo Barrett, the surfer dude whose pride is bruised more than once during the story.

WHY I LOVED THIS MOVIE: Bottle Shock is the kind of precious little film that makes the audience want to pause the film in order to locate a good bottle and glass of a tasty vintage, in the spirit of truly celebrating a good wine, and the incredible effort and art behind the making of such. Like a fine bottle, this movie is to be savored again and again.

CHE PART I & II

Che” is actually two movies that tell one cohesive story. The first, “The Argentine,” follows Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s (Benicio del Toro) rise from doctor to rebel hero in the successful Cuban Revolution, while the second, “Guerilla,” tracks his later attempt to continue the cause in a not-so-successful charge in Bolivia. The reunion of “Traffic” Oscar winners del Toro and Soderbergh is an exciting prospect, and del Toro has already won a best actor prize at Cannes for his efforts here. Never been a fan of Che and this 1 is a classic "Hollywood" movie aiming at elevating his fame after death ... “The Argentine” cuts back and forth between Guevara’s rise and his political life years, providing enough narrative momentum to qualify as engaging. When it’s all over audiences are likely to have a clear understanding of Guevara’s commitment to his cause, but there’s an awful lot about the man (and his allegedly ultra-violent tactics) that isn't mentioned or showed. Shouldn’t four hours and two films deliver more than that?

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE??? O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D

RIGHTEOUS KILL??? You can see how the ending is coming plus chemistry is something you can't teach...know what I mean???

GRAN TORINO??? Yes, Clint Eastwood is 1 of the all time greatest actors and yes that's all you need to know about the movie...Having him repeatedly calling out "the gooks" should be illegal...

MILK:

First off let’s get one thing clear, this isn’t a film about milk. I didn’t see one glass of milk in the entire film. ;-) Milk is the true story of Harvey Milk’s crusade for gay rights, and his rise to becoming the first openly gay politician in California history. Unlike other films that deal with this subject matter, It was the cast that drew me to this film.

The visual style of Gus Van Sant, really captures the look and vibe of the Seventies. He grounds the film with remarkable archival TV news footage that locks in the true story aspect of the film. Sean Penn, again delivers a powerful performance as the gay politician Harvey Milk. James Franco also delivers a powerful performance. Emile Hirsch and James Brolin (as usual) provide amazing life to there characters..A very educational film and if somebody comes to visit me I promise to take you to the man that had the whole gay community beg him to move his grocery store in Castro..heck he was getting free drinks at the famous SF Bar "The Cockpit"...

A couple notes...

My pick for best commercial during yesterday's Superbowl has to be the "Bud light "with Conan O’Brien..This is like a total parody of those weird commercials celebrities did in japan when no one was watching...You have to love the Vanstroodlen..

And most heartbreaking commercial (although I'm still laughing my ass off) was a $3 million ad where Jack Box gets hit by a bus--his condition, serious...follow up at http://hangintherejack.com/

And my point of view about the Utah Jazz..many sportswriters have been arguing about how great Paul Milsap has been with Carlos Boozer held out of action the last couple months...can't argue that, Milsap is a 20/10 machine and the rest of the team is the same so why not let Boozer opt out this summer??? Memo to everybody: it's easy to find a 20/10 guy but it's rare to find a 20/10 guy that wins! Jazz is 17-18 with Milsap and it seems like they will be missing the playoffs...

Update on my boy Josh Childress and it's not always about the dunk!!!

Another classic in the long history of "Josh Childress doing lines": “I’m glad to be home, but I didn’t want it to happen this way...”

Big news out of Philly this morning...Swingman Josh Childress, had surgery to repair a tear in his abdomen...While initial reports projected Josh would miss between 6-8 weeks, Josh and his medical team think the time frame could be shorter: “The doctor said he thinks we can push the envelope on the recovery and I could be back in 3-4 weeks. ”
Meanwhile, reports from the other side of the Atlantic, were saying yesterday that "Olympiacos Pireaus on Tuesday announced that forward Josh Childress will undergo hernia surgery today and miss most, if not all, of the Top 16."
There is a story here totally going under the radar:
While the surgery has been reported as a hernia, Childress and his doctor said (after the surgery was performed) that it was actually an abdominal tear. Said, Josh: "Everybody (in Greece) diagnosed it as hernia, but the specialist in Philly said it was a tear. Actually, I’m kind of unclear, because the team doctor said he thought it was a hernia, and he was here at the surgery as well."
Childress had the surgery in the U.S. because he had a clause in his contract that allowed him to come to the U.S. and see a doctor if he suffered any serious injury. He went to a specialist in Philly — the same guy who treated Shaq’s strained abdominal muscle.
Again Josh is showing us that he has been less of an outstanding basketball player and more of a professional business basketball player...
It's funny cause once in a while I get together with professional scouts and when I bring up the Josh Childress situation they all have kinda the same non basketball related response "He proved his Stanford education"...

We have to be grateful for streaming technology...After you replay this video 10 times, think about exactly how many highlights we’ve missed...but here there's MORE than just the dunk!!

This dunk by the 6-3, 190-pound was one for the ages, (although it's an obvious offensive foul), but the celebration and the audio were just as classic. Joshua Beale (no. 44) gives high-fives to random people on the sidelines. Cheerleaders come up to talk trash. The victim (6-6 junior swingman Mason Ambler) just lies on the floor. Not a single teammate comes near to help him up...I’m laughing at the dunker’s teammates too. Two of them screamed in the face of the kid who got dunked on. That was brutal. One of them was even mugging the dude as he walked to the free throw line like he dunked the ball or something.